Over $3m in criminal proceeds to fund anti-P initiatives

Prime Minister John Key has
today announced that over $3 million recovered under the
Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act will be used to fund law
enforcement initiatives to break the methamphetamine supply
chain and expand alcohol and drug treatment programmes.

“When I launched the Methamphetamine Action Plan in
2009, we made a commitment that money taken from those who
profit from drugs would be used to target the drug trade and
help those affected by it to get treatment,” says Mr
Key.

“We are sending a clear message we are serious
about tackling drugs, particularly methamphetamine, and the
harm they cause our communities.”

Since the Criminal
Proceeds (Recovery) Act came into force in December 2009,
the Police have obtained forfeiture orders for assets worth
$30.5 million, over half of which are related to
methamphetamine offences.

While a good portion of this
money goes towards procedural factors, like repaying people
and organisations left out of pocket by criminals, legal and
administration costs, $7 million has been set aside for
anti-P initiatives and that will continue to grow.

Law
enforcement and health agencies are able to bid for funding.
The successful bids in this initial round are:

$1 million
to increase residential accommodation for participants in
alcohol and drug treatment programmes. (Health)

$714,000
for the Drug and Alcohol Court pilot to cover prosecution
and defence counsel costs. (Justice)

$600,000 to aid with
the recovery of legal costs incurred under the Act allowing
Police to focus on recovering more criminal proceeds.
(Police)

$335,000 to enhance frontline screening at the
border. (Customs)

$320,000 to help assess the purity of
methamphetamine. (Customs)

$200,000 for a Police training
programme to teach drug dogs to detect cash as well as
drugs. (Police)

$68,000 for the development of media
guidelines for reporting on the use of volatile substances.
(Health)

The next funding round will be held next
year.

The latest Indicators and Progress Report for
the Government’s Methamphetamine Action Plan, also
released today, shows the number of people using P has
continued to decrease but the issue of demand and supply
remains a complex one.

“When the Government launched the
Methamphetamine Action Plan in 2009, New Zealand had one of
the highest rates of P users in the world with 2.2 per cent
of the adult population using the drug,’’ says Mr
Key.

“We are now down to just under 0.9 per cent, which
is great, but there are still over 25,000 P users in New
Zealand, which is far too many.”

Mr Key says the latest
report shows the price of methamphetamine remains high
indicating efforts to reduce supply are having an effect.

Since 2010, the price of a point of methamphetamine has
risen from $107 to $109 and the price of a gram from $723 to
$757.

However, the drug’s purity levels remain high and
the price of precursors (chemicals used to create P) has
continued to fall.

“Customs has made more
methamphetamine and precursors seizures to date in 2013 than
the total seizures in 2012, which is a credit to our law
enforcement agencies,’’ says Mr Key.

“By cracking
down on precursors, breaking supply chains, providing better
routes into treatment, supporting families and communities
and strengthening leadership and accountability we are
tackling P from all directions.

“I am confident
together these measures will help reduce the amount of P on
our streets, save lives and make our communities safer,”
says Mr Key.

Key’s endorsement of English has turned this “contest” into a race for second place.

This succession was well planned. Lets not forget that English was told by Key in September of his intention to resign, and English was the only member of Cabinet entrusted with that information before it was sprung on everyone else on Monday morning. More>>

Latest: Judith Collins and Jonathan Coleman have withdrawn from the leadership race, leaving Bill English the only candidate to replace John Key as Prime Minister.

The New Zealand Dental Association is launching a new consensus statement on Sugary Drinks endorsed by key health organisations. The actions seek to reduce harm caused by sugary drinks consumption. More>>

The Government Communications Security Bureau wants to give internet service providers more information and power to block cyber threats which are increasing, its director told the intelligence and security select committee yesterday.. More>>

ALSO:

Labour: NCEA results for charter schools have been massively overstated... In one case a school reported a 93.3 per cent pass rate when the facts show only 6.7 per cent of leavers achieved NCEA level two. More>>

Following a complaint by Mr Leask, the Ombudsman found that the State Services Commission acted unreasonably in relation to Mr Leask and identified numerous deficiencies in the investigation process and in the publication of the final report and in the criticisms it contained of Mr Leask... More>>

NZEI: New Zealand had only held relatively steady in international rankings in some areas because the average achievement for several other OECD countries had lowered the OECD average -- not because our student achievement has improved. More>>

The resignation of John Key is one thing. The way that Key and his deputy Bill English have screwed the scrum on the leadership succession vote (due on December 12) is something else again. It remains to be seen whether the party caucus – ie, the ambitious likes of Steven Joyce, Judith Collins, Paula Bennett, and Amy Adams – will simply roll over... More>>